by Trace, Piper
Evie again fought the urge to touch him, to make him feel her warmth, how real she was. She had a crazy urge to assure him she’d never leave, but that was ludicrous. She would leave. He would make her leave.
She gripped her fingers together to stop from reaching for him. Ford had just drawn her a blueprint of exactly how he’d hurt her, and exactly why he could never give her what she needed. The thought cooled her mood toward him.
“Do you like yourself?” she asked, causing him to raise his eyebrows.
“Now that’s a very loaded question,” he answered, his voice soft but tight.
“Sorry.” She dropped her head, embarrassed she’d let the question tumble out before she’d considered its impact. But he pulled back a corner of his mouth in resignation.
“I don’t know. It’s not important whether or not I do, is it.” He said it as a statement.
“Of course it is! It’s the most important thing.”
He smirked, his beautiful lips inclining her to defend him further. “Why’s that?” he asked.
“Because this is your life, no one else’s. No one needs to approve of you, agree with you, believe in you, but you.”
“And society agrees with you on that philosophy?”
She guffawed. “Since when do you care what society thinks? You just gave me a whole speech about how you didn’t even want to be part of it.”
He frowned. “Yes, I did, didn’t I?”
“Besides—” Now she did touch him, reaching out and laying her hand on his. “Everyone’s crazy. It’s one big crazy contest out there to see who’s the biggest weirdo.” She jerked her head toward the front door. “Trust me.”
He laughed, the sound genuine, causing Evie to mirror his smile.
They sat in silence for a minute, their smiles fading until awkwardness set in, and Evie slid her hand back to cup her shin.
“Are you lonely?” she asked quietly, pushing her luck on the personal questions, but she’d never before caught Ford in such a sharing mood, and she couldn’t help herself.
“Yes and no. If you call this lonely—” he gestured around the large room but she knew he meant his life, “—then I’ve been lonely all my life, so I’ve had a long time to get used to it. Honestly, I don’t even know what I’m missing. So I simply indulge myself in whatever I want. I concentrate on running my businesses, which takes a lot of time. I read. And now I have a new pet project which occupies my thoughts constantly.” She raised her eyebrows at him. “You.”
Oh. She reached her hand to tuck her hair behind her ear and caught Ford’s eye. He nodded to her hands which were wrapped again around her knees. “What happened to your blue nails?”
She laughed. “I don’t have blue nails all the time. I like to change things up.”
“I don’t.” He frowned. “I like things consistent, predictable.”
“Well, I’m sorry, Mr. Hawthorne,” she said, smiling. “You have enough of my body already. You can’t choose my nail color too. I’ll decide what I wear on them.”
He grinned at her. “I could buy your nails too, you know.”
“No, actually, you couldn’t. Some things are simply not for sale,” Evie said with a haughty tone, inspecting her fingernails in an exaggerated fashion.
“So you’ll let two men share your bed, doing filthy things to your body, but the color of your nail polish is where you draw the line?”
“My nails and my hair. If you want a redhead, you’re outta luck. But you can have everything else. You and Charley.” She grinned back at him and he sat forward, wrapping his hands around her calves, rubbing his fingers up and down her smooth legs.
“I will have everything else. And it’s good to know you have limits,” he said, his mouth curling up wickedly at the corners before he dipped his lips to her legs to graze a kiss against her knees.
She asked the question she’d been wondering ever since she’d first laid eyes on Ford at the law firm. “What about girlfriends?” She tried to sound more casual than she felt, and she couldn’t ignore the niggle of distress that told her she cared about his answer.
“Ah, girlfriends!” Ford looked up from his attentions to her knees, his eyes sparkling now. “Evie, I will continue to answer your very personal questions but first you must take off that shirt. Perhaps it’s all this talk about friends and family, but now I am feeling a bit lonely. I want to feel your naked body while we talk.”
She stood up in front of him, trembling slightly. The answering of his every sexual whim was still new and challenging enough to her to kick up her nerves whenever he issued an order. She unbuttoned the shirt slowly, letting it slide off her shoulders. Her nipples were instantly hard from the exposure to the cool air. He stared at her standing naked except for her panties and heels and then reached for her, placing his hands on her hips and pulling her to him. He rested his forehead against her bare midsection and she touched his hair hesitantly. Twisting his head, he rested his cheek against her palm.
He made what sounded like a contented sigh and then reached around her, scooping her into his lap. He wrapped his strong arms around her, snuggling her body against his. She couldn’t help how nice it felt.
“Now, the subject was girlfriends, correct? I discovered early on that I had a particular talent in gaining the interest of women. I took advantage of that talent. Often.” He pursed his lips into a rakish smile and she caught her frown before it showed. Jealousy…and he wasn’t even hers. “I suppose perhaps that’s one of the reasons I don’t keep friends—I’ve been able to find all the companionship I desire from new women, when I want it.” He stroked his hand absently down her arm.
“But you wouldn’t consider any of those women your friends?” She looked up into his eyes and found his face very close to hers.
“Oh no, I wouldn’t.” He brushed her hair off her shoulder and kissed the bare skin there. Her nipples tightened again and came to attention, seeking his touch. “I don’t have relationships. I lose interest quickly. Frankly, I have a terrible problem in that I’m bored with people most of the time. I’d rather just be by myself. Perhaps that makes me an asshole, but it’s the truth. And I understand and have accepted the consequences of that—hence my lack of photographs with friends.”
Ford buried his nose in her hair and breathed deeply. “You smell wonderful.” He nuzzled the words into her neck. The thrill of being so close to him grew in her, even as he continued to explain to her why it was so very important she keep her emotional distance.
He leaned back, ending his explorations just in time, before Evie started panting in his lap. “Besides,” he continued, “as I said, I’m selfish and demanding, and I don’t enjoy thinking about the feelings of others, other than how I might use those feelings to get the things I want.” Evie raised her eyebrows in surprise at his unapologetic confessions.
“I know that sounds terrible, but in my defense, I’m basically a good person. I try not to hurt people.” He shook his head with a wry smile. “And don’t try to talk to me about it. I’m not willing to change. I’m old enough to know that about myself, and women don’t put up with my selfish behavior for long. God, when it goes bad! The drama. I can’t stomach it.”
He was an asshole and he embraced it, and Evie realized she kinda liked that about him. At least you knew what you were getting. He was completely self-aware and didn’t try to be something he wasn’t. He was simply Ford, take it or leave it.
“And all of that is why this arrangement is so perfect for me, so freeing. I can’t believe I never thought of it before!” He laughed, dimples flashing, and looked at her with what seemed to be pure affection. He trailed his fingers up and down her back. “I like you, Evie. I find you to be very interesting. You’re smart, sexy, and different from most of the women I’ve met. You can be challenging, but I like that. And this thing we’re doing is so exciting. I don’t think I’ve ever had so much fun.”
“You’ve never done this before?” She frowned, confused. He seemed
to know what he was doing. She’d assumed she wasn’t the first to have had this arrangement with him.
“No, never.” He squeezed his arms around her. “And I can’t believe I haven’t. I don’t have to pretend with you. I can tell you what I want you to wear, and what I need and when I need it. It’s perfect. And I don’t feel like an ass, because I’ve made a business deal with you, and you’re getting what you want too.” She knew he meant the money, but she wondered if what they were doing wasn’t somehow perfect for her too. There was no doubt she was enjoying it a hell of a lot.
“But sleeping with me is a problem? Like actually sleeping? You left last night, and then what you said earlier about everyone maintaining their own space…”
He shrugged. “I prefer to sleep alone.”
“Did you make Charley leave my room last night too?”
Nodding, he confirmed. “It didn’t feel right, leaving you and Charley there together without me.”
“You and I are here now, without Charley,” she pointed out.
“Yes, but you are my employee. That’s to be expected.”
She bit her lip, nodding, and then asked a different question. “I did what you asked last night. Were you pleased?”
“Oh yes.” He stroked the skin of her arm.
“Did you enjoy Charley?” she asked. The question held so much weight in her mind that she had trouble forcing her tone to sound light.
“I always enjoy Charley. Though last night I enjoyed him in a way I never had before.” Ford smirked and looked over at the pictures Evie had been studying earlier. “The fun we could have been having all those years… Well, there’s time now. And there’s you to play with. I have so many ideas.” He pursed his lips, his dimples signaling the wicked scenarios she knew were percolating inside that gorgeous head of his.
She narrowed her eyes, her stomach tightening with trepidation. “What are you going to make me do next?”
Ford laughed. “You enjoyed yourself last night. Why do you ask with such concern in your voice?”
“Because everything with you is about upping the stakes. I’m not sure if you know a limit.”
“Evie, you are more than just my sexual companion.” Warmth flooded through her at those words. “I care about you and I won’t ask you to do anything I know you won’t like or be good at.” He pulled her into him and tucked his head to her neck, his lips exploring down and back up, his tongue tasting her skin.
A chill tingled through her and the inner walls of her pussy contracted with a pang of excitement. He made her so hot she couldn’t think straight. She was ready to come and he’d barely touched her. She never knew when, or if, any affection was coming from Ford, so when she got it, the sensations seemed magnified tenfold.
He spoke in between kisses, his face buried in her hair. “That doesn’t mean that I won’t stretch the limits of your comfort zone, Evie. On the contrary,” he nipped at her tender skin, “I intend to stretch many parts of you.” She could feel his lips pull into a smile against her skin, and he moved up to her ear, sucking her earlobe into his mouth. Goddamn.
He stopped kissing her and held her face to look at him. “Remember though, no matter who I share you with, at the end of the day, you’re mine. I take you home. I take you to bed if I choose. I decide if I’m going to share you. I intend to keep you happy and well-fucked, because you. Are. Mine. Do you understand?”
“Yes, of course,” she whispered, knowing she was lying to him. There was no question at least some of her heart already belonged to Charley.
“Good girl, Evie. I knew we could make each other happy with the right arrangement.” He touched her hair, stroking her as if she were a cherished pet. “When I asked you what your dreams were, you gave the right answer—a future for yourself. I was worried you’d say something else and ruin everything.”
“What were you afraid I’d say?”
“Well you’re obviously attracted to me or you wouldn’t have agreed to our deal. I believe you enjoy spending time with me and living in this house.”
“I do.”
“I was afraid you might make a reference to becoming more in my life—like my wife or my girlfriend.”
Evie sat up and laughed, trying to emulate his detachment. “Oh no, I wouldn’t have said that.”
Ford’s brow furrowed and a cloud passed over his face, but as quickly as it had struck, it was gone and his face was a mask of playboy-casual again. What had it been? Confusion? Hurt?
“Does that bother you?” she asked, her voice incredulous.
“No, of course not.” He shook his head and the teasing glint came back to his eyes. “I can’t help but be curious. Why are you so sure about not wanting that?”
“Hey, I understand our deal and I respect it. Besides, I’m not looking for a romantic future.” Her thoughts touched on John and she wondered when she’d ever be ready again. “But there are other reasons too.”
Ford trailed the back of his hand from her neck down to her breasts and brushed his fingers over her hard nipples. She sucked a quick breath in through her teeth as she felt the thrill to her toes. “Tell me, love” he said softly, and he traced a finger around one of her stiff nipples.
She tried to remember what they were talking about. “First, you’re too old for me.” She rushed the words out, her breath coming faster.
“Old? I’m thirty-six!” Ford widened his eyes at her in mock shock.
“Yes, but I’m only twenty-six!”
He caressed his hand over one of her breasts and then moved it to her ass. “Yes,” he said, his eyes devouring her body. “You do appear to be only twenty-six, young lady. What else?”
“I couldn’t marry you. You’re too controlling, and you know I don’t respond well to men in authority.” He tore his eyes from her breasts and looked at her blankly. Then he got her joke and they both laughed until there were tears in their eyes.
She felt Ford’s cock stiffen under her ass, and his voice had gone soft and breathy. “Actually, that’s exactly why you would marry me, love, if marriage held any interest for me. You love it when I’m in control. You love this arrangement as much as I do.”
He licked his lips and his demeanor changed as his voice became deep and commanding. “Young lady, now that you’ve thoroughly insulted your employer, I’m going to have to show you what a bad girl you’ve been and what bad girls get in this house.” His eyes glinted with the promise of his intentions.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
“WHAT DO BAD girls get, Mr. Hawthorne?” Evie asked, being coy.
“Bad girls in this house always get a thorough fucking,” Ford growled, putting emphasis on the “fucking” part, and she moaned at his sexy threat and ground her bare ass cheeks against his lap, anxious for him to free his stiff cock from his pants. His cock felt very ready.
He cupped her breasts and caressed them, then sucked one nipple into his mouth, teasing it with his teeth. She groaned, “Oh god, Ford, don’t make me wait!”
He took his lips off her breast long enough to snarl, “I will do what I want when I want it.” He stood up and practically dumped her onto the lusciously soft carpet. Standing over her, fully dressed, and looking down at her half naked form, his crass words made her entire body come to life with heat and longing. “You are right, Evangeline. I am controlling. And now I intend to fuck you until I’ve had my fill, as per our deal.” Oh god. Her pussy was dripping. She was so ready for him. He was right—she enjoyed this as much as he did.
He kicked off his shoes and removed his undershirt, then dropped to his knees and reached one hand out to massage her breasts, pinching a nipple hard. She gasped at the twinge of pain that somehow made her burn hotter for him. He continued rubbing her breasts with one hand while he quickly unbuckled and unzipped his pants with his other, releasing his cock without bothering to pull off his trousers in his haste.
Evie reached out and tugged down on his pants, helping him remove them. She stared at his erection marveling h
ow every time with Ford made her feel as if she’d never wanted a man so badly. She was practically writhing on the carpet in her need.
“Ford please,” she begged. “I want you inside me.” His cock was swollen with excitement that echoed her own, and her pussy throbbed for the feel of him plunging into her. He leaned over and yanked her panties down with both hands, making her breath catch.
“Spread your legs,” he commanded. She spread them dutifully, and he crawled on top of her. His weight on her naked body felt so right. His breathing was rough and he moved quickly, wrapping his strong arms around either side of hers, pinning her arms to her sides, his hands gripping her shoulders.
“Evie, pet, you are so wet. You like what I’m doing to you, don’t you?” He moved a hand to his cock and rubbed her clit with the head of his erection. He was breathing so hard with excitement that she almost couldn’t understand his next words. “You like sucking my cock when I tell you to? Fucking my cock when I tell you to? Fucking my friend when I tell you to do it?” His voice was a hoarse whisper.
“Yes.” Her eyes locked to his. “I like it very much.” He moaned low with pleasure and without taking his eyes from hers, found her warm, wet entrance and shoved his erection into her as far as he could push it. She screamed in pleasure with the feeling of being so suddenly filled up. He moved a hand to her breasts and squeezed them, caressed them. He worked into her with long and slow strokes, lowering his head to lick and suck on her nipples.
“Oh, oh Ford, oh god, Ford!” She couldn’t seem to stop calling his name. She wished she could fuck him twenty times a day—the feeling was so amazing she never wanted it to stop. The excitement in her core was building rapidly, with every slow and deliberate thrust of Ford’s searing-hot cock.